People Hide from God
Gen Ch 3.
I was listening to Randy's sermon on Easter Sunday. I love to hear him preach, he spoke the truth on Sunday and I believe so many of our guests were blessed by it, as was I. At one point he mentioned how sometimes people avoid God. I had never recognized that that is what they are doing and/or that is what I sometimes do. Later that night, I felt led to Gen. ch 3. I read where Eve and then Adam both ate the forbidden fruit by the persuasion of Satan the serpent. God showed me that Adam and Eve hid from the Lord when they realized what they had done. This made me more aware of people who aren't Christians and who shut the door at any sign of spiritual talk. This has encouraged me to reach out more. And when I am avoiding God to run to Him - I have found the abundance and joy in knowing the Lord.
Isn't that cool that God showed me that?
God Knows Better Than We Do
God knew what was best for Adam and Eve. It says:
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom,
Both Adam and Eve logically reasoned that it must be good for them even though God told them it was not. They wanted to know good and evil and be like God. They were very wrong. I think He is telling me that He has much better ideas for me and what I should do than I do and that I must trust him. I can't let reason get in the way of what God calls me to do.
Pr 3,5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding
Don't Worry about it!
...so then I just worry about it! That's not trusting or faith hmm...
I wonder how God feels when I worry about things. When has He not taken care of me. He says do not worry about what you will eat, drink, or wear. He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the flowers of the field - how much more will be provide for me?
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matt. 6:33
I think so many times I forget how very small my mind is and how very big God's is. I think I miss out on a lot of what God is telling me or trying to get me to do because I reason my way out of it or I worry about it. This is a toughy, because I worry about the smallest things. I was just talking to my sister about something very small and she gently in a round about sort of way suggested that God probably doesn't want me to worry about it. I was annoyed with myself that it even crept in there. I am really concentrating on my behavior and my natural tendencies. I read last night:
11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
Think before you speak.. GEEZE!
I slipped when I began to worry about this small thing when I was speaking just to speak. God asks us to be mindful when we speak. I was speaking before I thought. The funny thing is I have been so careful about the thoughts that come into my head but when I was talking I hadn't thought about it first! Then God revealed to me this verse that He showed me last night. Isn't that cool?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Jesus paid it all
Wow, God is showing me so much.
I felt like God was telling me that He wanted me to focus on Jesus this Friday (yesterday - Good Friday) and really focus on what Jesus did for me on the cross. So that is what I did. All day I spent reading about Jesus, looking up verses about Jesus, and praying about Jesus.
*REWIND*
A couple of weeks ago I felt like God was revealed to me that I was not focusing on Jesus enough. I prayed to God and I was listening to the Holy Spirit but I wasn't being mindful of Christ. God showed me that He is my true source of salvation. Then I felt like He asked me to say Jesus' Name 1000 times. Yes, in case your wondering, it took a long time! But I think He wanted me to get more comfortable saying His name. He wanted to equip me better. Then I felt like He wanted me to confess my sins.
*
By His wounds we are healed.
God is showing me His heart so much lately. He loves me so much. I am still marveling about the last blog I wrote and how He showed me He loves me. I was talking to my sister and realized a more tangible analogy. It's sort of like when Jeremy tell me he loves me. I'm like "oh Honey that's sweet, love you to" the end. OR - He DOES something for me to SHOW me he loves me. It means so much to me that he would do that and I know by what he did that he must love me A LOT! (my husband is amazing by the way). It's like God revealed to me all the ways in which He cares for me, reaches out to me, blesses me, and speaks to me BECAUSE he loves me so much. Well guess what - He also sent His son to die for me. I was reading the passage below and had to dissect it in order to understand what was really being said. It's MEATY!
Peace and Joy 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
First, He's saying that God wanted us when we were His enemies. Because God is the true source of Justification and Righteousness we were separated from Him by our sins. He loved us so much He sent His one and only Son to die for us. It's one thing to die for a righteous man but sinful men who deserve death? The punishment for sin is death so something had to be sacrificed in order to be reconciled with God. Christ died for all so that we may be reconciled. I see this as if I owed someone a million -billion dollars and there is no way I could ever pay it back. Jesus came and was like "I got it" but at the ultimate price. I was thinking about this and God revealed to me that Christ did not only just die for me - Like someone who saved you from being run over by a car but then they died trying to save you. He died so I wouldn't have to die and no longer fear death because I will have eternal life in heaven - He died so that we may live forever.
Now we are perfect and blame less in the eyes of the Lord. He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west and He remembers them no more - still trying to figure that one out!
How much more will we be saved from God's wrath if we are perfect and blameless before Him? NOT ONLY THAT, THEN He sent His Holy Spirit to us as a gift! We now have freedom in Christ - basically a life made clean where we are no longer bound by our sins or by the punishment we deserve and no longer fear death. Then He blesses me with all of the things I wrote about in my last post. ON TOP OF THAT we get ETERNAL LIFE in heaven! What?? Why did He do that? Wow He must really love me. No wonder He wanted me to remember what Jesus did for me.
God has shown me that He deeply desires communion with me. That He treasures my heart and I am precious and perfect in His eyes. Jesus paid it all.
I have so much more - but God is teaching me to be focused in my thoughts when I share. So much more good stuff to come. I guess I never really went so deep as to understand Jesus this much. I knocked in my prayers and the Lord answered me.
I felt like God was telling me that He wanted me to focus on Jesus this Friday (yesterday - Good Friday) and really focus on what Jesus did for me on the cross. So that is what I did. All day I spent reading about Jesus, looking up verses about Jesus, and praying about Jesus.
*REWIND*
A couple of weeks ago I felt like God was revealed to me that I was not focusing on Jesus enough. I prayed to God and I was listening to the Holy Spirit but I wasn't being mindful of Christ. God showed me that He is my true source of salvation. Then I felt like He asked me to say Jesus' Name 1000 times. Yes, in case your wondering, it took a long time! But I think He wanted me to get more comfortable saying His name. He wanted to equip me better. Then I felt like He wanted me to confess my sins.
*
By His wounds we are healed.
God is showing me His heart so much lately. He loves me so much. I am still marveling about the last blog I wrote and how He showed me He loves me. I was talking to my sister and realized a more tangible analogy. It's sort of like when Jeremy tell me he loves me. I'm like "oh Honey that's sweet, love you to" the end. OR - He DOES something for me to SHOW me he loves me. It means so much to me that he would do that and I know by what he did that he must love me A LOT! (my husband is amazing by the way). It's like God revealed to me all the ways in which He cares for me, reaches out to me, blesses me, and speaks to me BECAUSE he loves me so much. Well guess what - He also sent His son to die for me. I was reading the passage below and had to dissect it in order to understand what was really being said. It's MEATY!
Peace and Joy 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
First, He's saying that God wanted us when we were His enemies. Because God is the true source of Justification and Righteousness we were separated from Him by our sins. He loved us so much He sent His one and only Son to die for us. It's one thing to die for a righteous man but sinful men who deserve death? The punishment for sin is death so something had to be sacrificed in order to be reconciled with God. Christ died for all so that we may be reconciled. I see this as if I owed someone a million -billion dollars and there is no way I could ever pay it back. Jesus came and was like "I got it" but at the ultimate price. I was thinking about this and God revealed to me that Christ did not only just die for me - Like someone who saved you from being run over by a car but then they died trying to save you. He died so I wouldn't have to die and no longer fear death because I will have eternal life in heaven - He died so that we may live forever.
Now we are perfect and blame less in the eyes of the Lord. He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west and He remembers them no more - still trying to figure that one out!
Psalm 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
Heb 10:16 I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. 17 Then he adds:Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.
How much more will we be saved from God's wrath if we are perfect and blameless before Him? NOT ONLY THAT, THEN He sent His Holy Spirit to us as a gift! We now have freedom in Christ - basically a life made clean where we are no longer bound by our sins or by the punishment we deserve and no longer fear death. Then He blesses me with all of the things I wrote about in my last post. ON TOP OF THAT we get ETERNAL LIFE in heaven! What?? Why did He do that? Wow He must really love me. No wonder He wanted me to remember what Jesus did for me.
God has shown me that He deeply desires communion with me. That He treasures my heart and I am precious and perfect in His eyes. Jesus paid it all.
I have so much more - but God is teaching me to be focused in my thoughts when I share. So much more good stuff to come. I guess I never really went so deep as to understand Jesus this much. I knocked in my prayers and the Lord answered me.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I have to start somewhere...
Last night I was praying and reading (not because I have to but because I deeply desire to) and I heard the verse "Be still and know that I am God" I have heard that several times in my silent prayers, listening to God in my prayer closet. This time I decided to actually do it! I just sat there and thought about God. I began thinking about the greatness of God and how big He is and how big the universe is that He made -
1) Then He told me that "My fullness lives in you" wow.
2) Then He showed me all of the ways He reaches out me to speak to me and makes effort to teach me - (He speaks to me, He reveals things through His word, He reaches me through my friend Dee, Kristina, and my husband, etc.
3)Then He showed me how He "puts me" with all of my blessings. He puts me with my close friends, He puts me with my husband, He puts me with my close twin sister, He puts me with my church, He sat me right down in my chair at work at my amazing job (where I can seek Him privately at work with out feeling guilty!) He put me in my home, He even showed me how it gave Him such joy to give me a little canine friend named Molly. It gives Him great joy to bless me and care for me. He adores me. It's one thing to hear other people tell me God loves me but when God tells me it means SO MUCH MORE!
4) He told me "I bought you back with Jesus" Now there's something I can't wrap my brain around! Thank you God! I asked Him to help me understand Jesus better and be closer to Him. He keeps telling me to focus on Jesus. You got it!
5) He showed me that the Holy Spirit in my heart was His gift to me. THE BEST GIFT EVER! THANK YOU! He said "You know Me" (because of the Holy Spirit)
6) He showed me He is with me when I am hurting.
THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I asked Him what I should read in His word. I heard "Psalm 23"
Now I knew that when I flipped to that passage that I would know the scripture because Psalm 23 sounded familiar to me but I did not know exactly which passage it was. I SHOULD know but the good thing is, it's all the more a surprise when I go to read it I guess!
Psalm 23
1 A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
ARE YOU SERIOUS??! WOW!
He told me that no matter what I am going through He is always there guiding, protecting, and blessing me. "You are my beloved"
That's exactly what He told me in my prayers and listening! (above)
God guides us like a shepherd leads sheep. The shepherd knows what's best for the sheep. God asks things of us because He cares for us and loves us not to make us miserable or a slave to what is good. When we follow all of His ways is when we find our greatest joy and abundant life in Him! He came to save us not condemn us.
He also comforted me in another way. I have this fear (which He has already comforted me on before) that I'm going to loose my special closeness with Him. "...surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life". He is always in me, all I have to do is be with Him.
I have so much overflowing but I will stop here. There's no way I could say all of the things I want to say and all of the things God has put in me. I have never felt this way and I am so thankful for this Holy Spirit in my heart.
1) Then He told me that "My fullness lives in you" wow.
2) Then He showed me all of the ways He reaches out me to speak to me and makes effort to teach me - (He speaks to me, He reveals things through His word, He reaches me through my friend Dee, Kristina, and my husband, etc.
3)Then He showed me how He "puts me" with all of my blessings. He puts me with my close friends, He puts me with my husband, He puts me with my close twin sister, He puts me with my church, He sat me right down in my chair at work at my amazing job (where I can seek Him privately at work with out feeling guilty!) He put me in my home, He even showed me how it gave Him such joy to give me a little canine friend named Molly. It gives Him great joy to bless me and care for me. He adores me. It's one thing to hear other people tell me God loves me but when God tells me it means SO MUCH MORE!
4) He told me "I bought you back with Jesus" Now there's something I can't wrap my brain around! Thank you God! I asked Him to help me understand Jesus better and be closer to Him. He keeps telling me to focus on Jesus. You got it!
5) He showed me that the Holy Spirit in my heart was His gift to me. THE BEST GIFT EVER! THANK YOU! He said "You know Me" (because of the Holy Spirit)
6) He showed me He is with me when I am hurting.
THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I asked Him what I should read in His word. I heard "Psalm 23"
Now I knew that when I flipped to that passage that I would know the scripture because Psalm 23 sounded familiar to me but I did not know exactly which passage it was. I SHOULD know but the good thing is, it's all the more a surprise when I go to read it I guess!
Psalm 23
1 A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
ARE YOU SERIOUS??! WOW!
He told me that no matter what I am going through He is always there guiding, protecting, and blessing me. "You are my beloved"
That's exactly what He told me in my prayers and listening! (above)
God guides us like a shepherd leads sheep. The shepherd knows what's best for the sheep. God asks things of us because He cares for us and loves us not to make us miserable or a slave to what is good. When we follow all of His ways is when we find our greatest joy and abundant life in Him! He came to save us not condemn us.
He also comforted me in another way. I have this fear (which He has already comforted me on before) that I'm going to loose my special closeness with Him. "...surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life". He is always in me, all I have to do is be with Him.
I have so much overflowing but I will stop here. There's no way I could say all of the things I want to say and all of the things God has put in me. I have never felt this way and I am so thankful for this Holy Spirit in my heart.
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